Denali 2005 Final Dispatch
July 11, 2005: Hey everybody it’s Eric Larson and the Dancing Snow Pumpkins
expedition, we’re giving you a call from Talkeetna. We arrived yesterday
afternoon by airplane, delivering us from the cold glacier to the warm, warm
climate of Talkeetna. We wrapped up our expedition last night with an
incredible dinner at the lodge and finished up some last minute paperwork and
some expedition clean up. The crew did really well, we marched down from high
camp all the way down the glacier through the night and got to the airstrip in
the morning. They did really well, they are definitely tuckered out and
excited to be finished with an incredible peak. Just wanted to say thanks to
everybody out there for their support and maybe we’ll get to climb again some
time. This is the Dancing Snow Pumpkins, and maybe we’ll see you next time,
Eric out.

Overview: There are certain mountains
that need no explanation as to why climb. Denali is such a mountain. Its
tremendous size and beauty generate a magnetism that continually draws
climbers from around the world. An ascent of Denali, touches the psyche of all
alpinists and for those who have undertaken its challenges, it rewards them
with an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Denali is often considered
America's most classic climb. From top to bottom, it rises nearly 18,000', an
elevation gain unsurpassed anywhere in the world. At a northern latitude of
63°, it is the most northerly of any big mountain over 20,000'. No other
region offers such breathtaking and diverse views each day of the ascent. The
panorama from Denali's summit includes Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter and Mt.
Huntington in all their majestic glory.

When Dr. Bradford Washburn
pioneered the West Buttress route, he heralded in a new era of Denali ascents
and offered climbers a unique approach to the summit. The flight onto the
glacier is a trip in itself, presenting overwhelming vistas of the Alaska
Range. The West Buttress route remains, by far, the most successfully climbed
route on the mountain.

Climb Overview: A Denali climb begins
deep in the heart of the Alaska Mountain Range on the Kahiltna Glacier. From
the S.E. Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier we begin the climb of Denali's West
Buttress. Base Camp plus five higher camps are established on the mountain.
When necessary, the team makes double carries between all camps, except high
camp, to ensure proper acclimatization and reduce loads. In each camp we build
snow walls for protection from possible high winds. The climb takes
approximately 17-18 days round trip from Base camp.